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Comment by moffkalast | Hacker News Reader

I do still wonder why the fast and responsive software can't invest a little bit into design in order to not look like complete shit.

Sure something like phpBB is light, but the UX is also barely usable. Give me something like Reddit or Discourse over that any day. Why can't we have the best of both worlds?

Hackernews on the other hand manages to lack both (in some speculations intentionally), with neither usable design nor speed.

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There is a considerable cultural overlap between "people who think no-JS, fast and responsive software is cool" and "people who think the design of Reddit or Discourse is really awful". (Man, especially Reddit, I swear the day they retire old.reddit.com will be the day I stop using it). They probably are investing a little bit into design, just not the one you like.

FOSS tends to treat aesthetics like developers complain executives treat software quality: This doesn't help me. Why does it matter? Why should I care? I see no difference.

Improving either is an uphill battle when decision makers don't value the work, at best, or at worst are committed to resistance. And you don't even get paid.

Yep often they don't see aesthetics/usability as a feature, and sometimes even have a grudge against it.

For example, Blender pre-v2.8, many many flamewars belittling people who wanted something usable, akin to calling them shallow/superficial Untermensch who "don't understand" Blender's supposedly genius but strange design choices at that time.

I suppose that's why most aren't capable of making a product and are relegated to being an employee or unpaid open source employee.

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